Chapter 145

Chapter 145

Celendion had exhausted all the life stocks he initially brought in, depleted as his subordinates fell.

However, his army had taken quite a few lives from our troops in the battle on the walls. The count was about a hundred and fifty.

The names of the dead flitted across my mind, including the faces of Oldgirl and Skull, who had died moments before.

I clenched my fist tightly.

... Anyway, Celendion currently has about a hundred and fifty life stocks.

He used these to resurrect himself from death.

"Its been a long time since I visited the underworld."

Suddenly, there wasnt a scratch left on him. Celendion eased his body with a series of stretches.

"I always want to return to the place I miss, but as you can see, I cant easily fall due to this body."

"Stop spoiling the afterlife for now..."

While he casually resurrected and recomposed himself.

We also finished our reorganization.

Lucas and Evangeline stood firm in front of me again, and Damien had finished preparing for the shot, laying crossbows and magic guns on the ground.

The bodies of our fallen comrades came into view on both sides. I gritted my teeth.

For those who died for me, I cannot lose.

"I have a question, Vampire King."

"Hm?"

"Dont you want to resurrect your subordinates?"

I asked Celendion, who stood alone.

"If you look at the number of lives you currently have, it should be possible to resurrect your subordinates."

"The current number of lives remaining for me is one hundred and fifty-three."

As if checking how much stock is left in the warehouse. As if writing an income and expenditure report on an Excel sheet.

He was indifferent while discussing the lives of the people he had taken.

"I could resurrect them, but the cost-benefit analysis doesnt seem right. Above all, they were too weak. Using all the lives I now have as my combat resources would make me stronger."

" ...Indeed. Youre so strong you could fight alone, without your subordinates from the beginning."

"I love my army. Sincerely. But love and efficiency are separate issues. The weight of my one hundred and fifty-three subordinates and my one hundred and fifty-three lives. Isnt it different?"

Step by step.

With a fully recovered body, he began to approach again, babbling on.

"So I will fight alone. Survive alone, destroy the world alone. It is enough to resurrect my subordinates after that."

I drew out my wand.

Three blades of magic power whirled and sprang up behind my back.

"That judgment will be your downfall, Vampire King."

"Ho. Youre saying youre confident enough to kill me a hundred and fifty-three times, human?"

Smirk.

I diverted the conversation with a scoff.

"Before we fight again, let me tell you something, Celendion. Youre a liar."

"Hm? Me?"

"Youve said many times that you want to kill yourself, but thats a bald-faced lie, isnt it?"

I harshly rebuked him.

"Youre just a coward who wants to enjoy the thrill of being close to death in a safe place... In fact, youre more afraid of death than anyone else, arent you?"

If you leap from a high place, but you have a safety rope attached to your leg, its not suicide but bungee jumping.

This bastard is the same. He just enjoys the thrill next to death, but in reality, he clings to life more than anyone else.

"You stockpile hundreds of lives, and play the game without fear of death using cheats. Saying I want to quit the game because its not fun~, this kind of bullshit is annoying."

Someone who steals the blood of others for his own life extension cant really want to die.

The species known as vampires is the embodiment of self-love in essence.

"You cling to life more than anyone else. Thats you guys, vampires. Isnt it?"

"..."

Even if he didnt fully understand my words, he seemed to grasp the general nuance.

For the first time, a look of discomfort flitted across Celendions face.

"Babble all you want, human. How can a mortal who cant even comprehend the pain of immortality understand anything?"

"Of course, I dont know about that. I dont care either. But theres one thing I do know."

I swiftly swung the wand in my hand and hit the shoulders of Lucas, Evangeline, and Damian.

[Superior Buff Applied!]

[Reduce all damage by 25% for 3 minutes buff is applied to Lucas(SSR)!]

[Top-notch Buff Applied!]

[Health Recovery 3% per second for 3 minutes buff is applied to Evangeline(SSR)!]

[Lowest Buff Applied!]

[Damien(N) is buffed with Physical Penetration Rate Increase by 10% for 3 minutes!]

"You son of a bitch, whether its 150 or 1500 times today, youre going to die here, only to hit that dead end called your dream."

"Im growing tired of your bravado, Ash..."

Celendion, no longer interested, lunged for my throat.

"Im going to enjoy eating you. Ill absorb your life force and make you part of my kin."

***

Vampires use the essence of life they drain from others as fuel.

If they cant replenish their blood on the battlefield by killing enemies, the strength of the vampire, which is high-consuming, eventually runs out.

So, vampires always try to suck blood from their opponents if possible.

The pattern to watch out for was exactly this.

***

Booom-!

"...?"

With a dull thud, Celendion stared down at his chest in puzzlement.

A silver pillar...was piercing through it.

"Huh?"

Celendion slowly turned around.

It was a massive silver stake.

Literally, the silver stake that had fallen from the sky had pierced through his neck, penetrated his back, and pinned him to the ground.

"Sorry for...huff...the delay, your Highness, huff..."

Godhand, looking as if he was on the verge of death, barely managed to speak to me from the distance.

Beside him, Bodybag was lying on the ground, looking equally close to death.

Combining the silver they had created with the net and the silver weapons they had collected from the battlefield.

Godhand had crafted the giant silver stake, and Bodybag had lifted it into the air with telekinesis and thrown it at the perfect timing.

Vampires usually let their guard down at the last moment before they feast. After all, you dont bother a dog when its eating.

It was pretty close, but in the end, they managed to pin him down.

"Its a classic vampire countermeasure, driving a stake through the heart. Doesnt it feel great to have a hole punched through you?"

"Quite a cute move... but so what?"

Even being pinned by the stake, the Vampire King wouldnt die from it.

"What do you expect to achieve with such childish pranks?"

Creak. Crack.

Even now, the silver stake was fracturing. It wouldnt be long before Celendion would break free from the stake.

Struggling to stand, I growled at him.

"Yeah. All these childish pranks... were all part of a plan to buy some time."

"What?"

Just then.

Whooosh!

The surrounding air changed. A turbulent flow of immense magical power surged towards one side of the city wall, causing goosebumps to rise.

Surprised, Celendion turned to look, and I followed his gaze with a smirk.

Junior was standing there.

She raised both her hands, with dozens of magical elements of various colors floating above her head.

"Junior!"

I yelled out.

"Ive been waiting so long its not even funny! Are we there yet?!"

"...Its almost ready, your Highness. Thirty more seconds."

The spell was so complex that just looking at the formula intertwined in mid-air made my eyes spin.

As she was nearing the completion of the magic, Junior nodded.

"In thirty seconds, I can finish off that monster."

Seemingly realizing the nature of the magic, Celendions eyes widened in shock for the first time.

"That magic is...!"

Infuriated, Celendion roared out.

"...Its mine, isnt it?!"

Junior readily nodded in response.

"After I fell victim to your magic backlash that day, Ive been working on how to make it mine... After countless attempts, I finally perfected it. I havent registered it with the Continental Magic Association yet, but Im planning to soon."

Celendions face contorted fiercely.

"You mere human! How dare you steal our clans secret technique-!"

"Yes, yes. Its not an homage. Its plagiarism. But, Ive got to say this."

Even as she spewed blood from her mouth and nose, Junior gave a fox-like grin.

"Your magic was pretty kick-ass, you bloodsucker."

Celendions mouth fell open in shock.